Vaporizer.



G. P. SWAIN.

VAPORIZER. APPLICATION FILED AUG. a, 1908.

955%5%8 Patented Mar; 22, 1910.

2 SHEETS-$151311 1.

G. F. SWAIN.

VAPORIZER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 8, 1998.

952,548, rammed Mar. 22, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

jmqenzor: 7 gemg' 1 To all whom it may concern: I

untrue snares Parana orrion GEORGE ryswnilv, or cnrcneo, rumors, AssrGn-on no swam ENGINE coiuPAnr-or cnrcnoo, ILLINOIS, n conronn'rron or ILLINGIS. I

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Application file fi August 8, 1908. Serial No. 447,515.

Be it known that I, Grouse F. SWAIN, citizen of the United States, vresiding at- Chicago, injthe county of Cook-and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful improvement in Vaporizers, of which the following is a full, clear, concise,

I and exact description.

' from such fuel. v y r In accordance with my invention, the li'q-' This invention relates to a vaporizer 0r carburetor adapted to produce a combustible gaseous mixture from liguid hydrocarbon fuel, for use in engines 0 the explosion or internal combustion type.

The object is in general to: provide improved, simple and inexpensive apparatus of this character which will be ada 'ted to make use of a great variety of fuels, with I particular reference to heavy oils which can notbe used in carbureters of the ordinary ftype.

- It has heretofore been proposed to make use of the heavier hydrocarbon oils to generate gas for the o' eration of an explosion engine, but great difiiculty has' been experienced owing-to the collection and solidification of the unvaporized residues,- and also the formation of hard carbon deposits int-he valves and cylinders of the engine using gas uid hydrocarbon, fuel, which may be crude petroleum, kerosene or the like, is fed in very small quantities onto a heated surface" in a retort, which will cause the more vol atile constituents of the fuel to be instantly vaporized, whereupon the unvaporiz'ed residues are, funinediately drawn'ofl from the" vaporizing surface, collected ina pocket or recess below such surface, and finally re moved from such pocket automatically by a device such as a check'valve, which will permit the discharge "of the liquid accumulations without allowing the inrush of air to,

the retort under the suction of the engine. "The invention also contemplates-an improved construction by which the'air and fuel vapor is directed into contact; with the heated or vaporizing surface of the retort, and also a construction 'by'which the va o; rizing snrfaceis efficiently heated to: a high degree by the exhaust gases from the engine."

I have found that'tlie J gaseous mixture produced by the vaporizer of'my invention,

- when even crude petroleum isused as a fuel,

will not form carbon deposits the valves cuts of the fuel, and because the residues are .not allowed to accumulate on the vaporizing surface, but are immediately drawn off. My

theory is that the hard carbon deposits re;-

Specificatioh of Letters Patent. Patented llllgm', $2,, 119M), 7

sult rom an imperfect vaporization of the fuel, insufficient mixture of air, and from the useofthose constituents of the heavy residues which are most slowly vaporized.

By bringing the liquid fuel and the current of merely relying upon the heat retained by instantly vaporized by contact with thehot surface, the heavier vapors and over-rich i fumes which would otherwise be produced from such. residues, and which would result in the formation of carbon deposits in the engine, will be avoided. I

My invention will be moreparticularly described and further features thereof set forth by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a combined vaporizer and mixerof my inven- -of air and fuel vapor into direct contact with a very hot surface of the retort, instead tion, together with the fuel feeding appara tus or sprayer; Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof; and Fig, 3 is a detailed sectional View of the fuel feeding attachment and air inlet valve.

'The same reference numerals designate .the same parts whereverthey are shown,

The vaporizer comprises, in its elements, a

*i'etort l having an inlet 5 for fiiel and air, an outlet 6 for the gaseous mixture generated, and a partition 7 extending downward between the inlet and outlet openings-and adapted to direct the current of air and fuel into contact with an inclined vaporizing surface .or floor S, which is arranged to be heated; as by-the hot exhaust. gases from the en me. A pocket 9 is formed at the bottom 0 the retort, below the lower edge of the inclined floor 8, adapted to receive the li quid fuel residues drained fromsaid floor;

A drain pipe 10 is connected with said pocket to discharge the fuelnresidues' colected therein, said drain pipe-ibein pro :vided with means, such ,as a check va ve ii,

for permitting the discharge of thdhqmd without adinit ting air to the retort under. 4

The

directed downwardly into contact? with the hot vaporizing surface 8, the generated gases being thoroughly intermingled mule retort and passing under the lower edge the partition 7, and thence upwardly to the outlet the inlet port of the "l "main long enough in contact with the hot 4 is preferably inclose'd "inan (5, which is connected to engine.

.The retort outer casing 15, which has inlet and outlet 'rizing surface 8 of the retort;

connections 17 and 18, respectively, to re'- ceive and discharge the hot exhaust gases from the engine. the retort opposite the inlet 17 is preferably provided with a'reentrant angle, the upper side of which forms the downwardly inclined floor 8. The retort and easing are so shaped that the-exhaust gases p'ass' inder the floor or vaporizing surface 8 ot the retort; and the wall .of theretort below said vaporizing surface being formed at an angle constitutes an inclined bafiie plate 19 in front of the inlet 17, adapted to direct the hot exhaust gases upwardly into contact with the under side of thefloor 8. Said floor is thus efliciently heated by the exhaust without interfering greatly with the passage of the exhaust through the casing.

Any desired means may be provided for feeding the liquid fuel to the vaporizer. In Figs. 2 and 3 I have illustrated the construction which I prefer to employ. The oil supplied through pipe 20 is kept at a substantially constant level in the container 21 by means of a valve 22 operated by a float 23. A feeding chamber 24- iscon'nected by a duct 27 with the lower part of the container 21, to receive oil therefrom, the admission of oil from the duct 27 into the chamber 24 being regulated by a needle valve 25. A'feed duct 26 opens off the feed chamber 24 at a point slightly above the level of the oil in the container 21, "said duet 26 leading downward in position'todischarge oil through the inlet 5 onto the va' 0- Norma ly, while the engine is not working, the oil from the duct 27 will not risein the chamber 24 to the height of the opening of the feed duct, 26; but when the retort is subjected-tothe suction of the en 'ne the external pressure will forcethe oil, 1n small regulated quantities, past the needle valve 25 upward into the chamber 24, and down through the feed duct 26 from which it is. dropped through the inlet 5 onto the hot surface of the floor 8 of the retort; air being admitted at the same time through the passage 13, upon a artition 7 causes the current of air. and uel received through the inlet 5-to be The side of the wall 'of' suction suflicient to raise the-puppet valve 14 against the tension of .its spring.

In starting the device in operation, gasolene may. first be supplied through the pipe 20, and this will be vaporized as in any carbureter, without requiring the applicationv of heat. After the engine has been running long enough so that the exhaust gases have thoroughly heated the retort,the supply of gasolenemay be cutoff, and the heavier fuel, such as petroleum or kerosene, supplied through the pipe 20, and fed, as described, onto-thenow heated vaporizing surface'of the retort. As the oil does not resurface to become baked or carbonized, the residue will bejuninjured and will form a fair quality .o'fglubricant. 1 I claim:- I

- 1. A vaporizer comprising a retort, a casing for sald retorthaving an inlet and outlet adapted to receive and discharge the hot exhaust gases from an "explosion-engine, whereby said retort is heated,vsaid retorthaving a floor in front of the inlet in said casing, and an inclined baffle plate below said floor and forming an angular exten-, sion thereof adapted to direct the heated exhaust gases upwardly a ainst said floor; said retort having means or droppingliquid fuel in small quantities onto said floor, means for admitting air with such fuel, means for directing the current of air and fuel vapor into contact with said floor, and an outlet for the mixture. U

2. A vaporizer comprising a casing inclosing a chamber for the circulation of hot gases, a retort, extended from the top wall of said chamber into the interior thereof, said retort being of less cross-sectional area than said chamber whereby space is provided around said retort for the circulation of hot gases in said chamber, said retort having a partition extendingvert-ically from its up- ,per wall to near its floor, whereby the interior of the retort is divided vertically into two compartments which are in communication beneath the lower edge of said partition, the top wall of said retort being provided with an inlet and an outlet upon opposite sides of said partitionfo r supplying.liqui d fuel to one of said compartments on one side of said partition and for withdrawing gas from the compartment at the other side of said partition, respectively.

A'vaporizer comprising a casing inclosing a chamber for the circulation of hot gases, a retort extended in and of less crosssectional area than said chamber whereby space is provided around said retort for the circulation of hot gases in said chamber,

said retort having a reentrant angle formed in one of'lts side walls near the bottom thereof providing an inclined floor and an oil pocket located below the lower edge of said inclined floor and adapted to receive oil therefrom, and means for dropping liquid fuel in small quantities upon said floor, the retort having an inlet for air and an outlet for gas, and being constructed to direct the air and fuel downwardly into contact with said floor before passing to said outlet. 4;, A vaporizer comprising a retort having a floor slanting downwardly from one of its side walls, the other side wall extending down around and under the lower edge of the slanting floor, to form a pocket adapted to receive oil drained from said floor, means for draining ofi the oil from said pocket while checking the admission of air thereto,

said retort having means for llltIOdllCll'lg":

small quantities of fuel oil into the retort at a point permitting the same to fall upon said floor, said retort having an inlet for admitting air, and an outlet for gas near the top' of the retort, and apartition between said inlet and outlet extending from the top of the retort downward nearly to said floor.

5. A vaporizer comprising a retort, a casing for said retort having an inlet and outlet adapted to receive and discharge the hot exhaust gases from an explosion-engine, said retort being centrally supported 'w1th1n sa d casing between the inlet and outlet, and hav ing an inclined floor in front of the inlet,

the casing and retort being formed to direct thehot exhaust gas upwardly against the under side of said floor, means for feeding liquid fuel insmall quantities onto said fioor,said retort being formed with a pocket below the lower edge. of said inclined floor adapted to receive liquid fuel residues from 1 said floor, means for admitting air to the retort with the fuel, means for directing the current of air and fuel vapor into contact with the heated floor of the retort, an outlet for the mixture, and means for draining off the unvaporized liquid fuel from said pocket,

such means being constructed to check the admission of air.

6. A vaporizer comprising a casing having inlet and outlet connections on opposite sides thereof adapted to receive and discharge hot exhaust gases from an explosion engine, of inner walls extending downward from the top of said casing and forming a retort centrally located inside-said casing between the inlet and outlet openings thereof, said retort having inlet'and outlet openings at the top, apartition extending down ward from the top between said inlet and outletjopenings nearly to the floor of the re tort, and means for drawing off unvaporized residues from the bottom of said.retort, such means being adapted to check the admission of air to the retort.

7. A vaporizer comprising a retort having a rentrant angle formed in one of its .side walls near the bottom thereof providing GEORGE SWAIN.

Witnesses:

D. C. TANNER, C. EDWARD SAYRE. 

